Automatically regulated semiflash boiler system



Sept. 1, 1931. MUREN 1,821,112

AUTOMATICALLY REGULATED SEMIFLASH BQILER SYSTEM Filed Aug. 25, 1928 Q I "3 3X 7 {3 I INVENTOR BY flZZe zZL Mal rm.

ATToR'NizY Patented Sept. 1, 1931 ALBERT L. MUBEN, OF DEABBORN, IMIliCHIG-AN AUTOMATICALLY REGULATED SEMIFLASH BOILER SYSTEM Application filed August 25, 1928. Serial No. 301,968.

- only is efl'ective; and wherein no water is delivered to the boiler as soon as the predetermined steam pressure in the boiler is reached or exceeded.

. Another object of the invention is to rom vide an automatically regulated semiash boiler for cuttm oil the boiler heating medium at the time-t e last feed pump ceases to deliver water to the boiler; andto re-start both the boiler heating'medium and the pumped supply of water to the boiler simultaneously -im-' mediately the pressure in the latter drops below a predetermined maximum. f

I A further object of the invention is to rovide an automatically regulated semiash boiler system wherein means are provided for obtaining partial regulation of the pumps by the mean temperature of the water or steam. in various portions of the generator coil.

With these and other objects and'advantages in view which will become apparent as the specification proceeds, the invention is hereinafter more :fully described with the 40 aid of the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 illustrates a diagrammatic view of the invention, and

Figure 2 is a detail. Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a "45 conventional semi-flash boiler having an ordinary generator coil 2 therein. The heating medium preferably consists of an oil burner 3 which projects into the boiler from its upper end. From a blower 4, operated by 30 an electric motor 5, air passes through a stem wherein'means are provided pipe 6 and enters-the boiler around the burner 3 so as to mix with the oil ejected b the latter. 7 designatesan outlet from the ower end of the boiler for the burnt products of combustion, and 3a indicates a spark plug.

for lighting the burner.

Ad acent the boiler at its lower end is a check valve 8 between the feed water pipe 9 and the lower end'of the generator coil 2; and to the upper end of the latter a main steam pipe 10 is connected.

11, 11a and llbare three plunger pumps preferably operated of a common crank shaft .12 which latter may beldriven from aline shaft 13 or in any other suitable-manner. 14- denotes a water tank and 15 a suction line from the tank to the said three pumps. Y The discharge-side of the pump 11 is connected by communicating pipe sections 16,. 17 and 18 to the feed water pipe 9. A pipe-' section 16a which is an extension of the pipe section 16, terminatesiin a check valve 20, and from the junction of the sections 1'2 and 18 a line 21 extends toa regulator 22.. The latter also has a steam line 23 connected toit from the steam main 10. 24 designates a return pipe from the said regulator to the water tank 14. The regulator 22 is of a conventional design, and usually is constructed as followsaA diaphragm 25 is arranged 8 therein a ainst which steam from the steam line 23 cars; when the steam pressure reaches a predetermined limit it overcomes the resistance of a sprin 26 and moves the diaphragm; this in turn orces a valve 27 off its seat 28thereby allowing water discharged from the pump 11 to flow back to the tank through the pipe sections 16, 17, and 21, through the body'of the regulator, and the return pipe When this occurs thereis, .of-course, no longer any water pressure in the pipe section 18 or the feed water pipe, 9.

At the junction of the pipe section 18 with the feed water pipe 9 is a branch 29 having a gland 30 at its outer end. ,Inthis branch} is a plunger 31 which extends throu h the gland 30 and has an extension 32 t ereon i with a valve 33 on the end of the latter. At the junction between the plunger and its extension, and usually around theformer, is a collar 34. A portion of the extension 32 and the valve 33 are located in an oil valve body a 35, and 36 designates a spring around the extension 32 extending between the said body 5 and the collar 34. As long as pressure is maintained in the branch 29 the plunger is held in its outward position shown against the resistance of the spring 36, and the valve 33 remains off its seat 37. A screw 29a closes l a threaded opening in the branch 29 through which oil, or other liquid, may be inserted into the branch, if it is desired to use something other than water therein.

38 indicates an oil tank from which oil is drawn by a pump 39 through a suction line 40, valve body 35, suction line 41, and delivered to the burner 3 through a discharge line 42. From the foregoing it will be clearly seen that as long as there" is sufiicient pressure in the branch 29 to hold the valve 33 off its seat 37 the suction line to the pump 39 remains open, and that immediately pressure in the branch ceases the suction line to the oil pump is closed.

Onthe collar 34 is a contact arm 43, usually suitably insulated therefrom, having a lead 44 connected to it which is also connected to one terminal of the motor 5, which opcrates both the blower 4 and the pum 39. Mounted on the branch 29 is an msu ated support-45 having a spring contact 46 dendingly secured to it. This spring contact is connected by a lead 47 to one terminal of a source of electrical energy 48, and the opposite terminal of the latter is connected to the other terminal of the motor by a lead 49. When the valve 33 is open the plun er is in such position that the arm 43 ma es a connection with the spring contact 46, but

by the spring 36 and the valve 33 closes the contact arm moves back to the position 43a so that the contact is broken and the motor 5 stops. The sparkplug 3a, employed for ignitlng oil ejected by the burner 3, is usually connected in the electric circuit in some suitable manner, as' for instance by grounding the lead 4411 from the wire 44 on the boiler 1, and running a wire 49a from the lead 49 to the spark plug. In this manner the spark plug 15 arranged to function as long as the motor 5 is in operation.

In the generator coil 2, and at varying levels, tubes 51, 51a and. 511) are inserted.

in the coils have closed ends, and adjacent the side of the boiler and outside the latter these tubes areprovided with downwardlydirected U-shaped bends 52, 52a and 52b. The sides ,of the bends remote from the boiler extend upwardly and terminate in a cross 54 located preferably above the top of the boiler. To the upper side of the cross an ordinary sylphon valve 55 is connected. The tubes 51, 51a and 51b and their U-shaped bends, 52, 52a

as soon as the plunger 30 is moved inwards;

The portions of these tubes which terminate and 52?) are filled with difierent liquids having varying boilin points up to approximately the levels in icated at A, B and C respectively, andv above those levels the tubes 53, 5301 and 53b are filled with a common liquid. Owing to. the fact that the upper portion of the generator coil is usually hotter than the lower portion the liquids in the tubes 51, 51a, and 516 should be of gradually decreasing boiling points in proportion to the decreasing amount of heat usually experienced at those respective points. In practice I find that very good results are obtained with the use of mercuryintheuppertube portions 51 and 52,, heavy analine oil in the middle tube portions 51a and 52a, and light analine oil in the lower tube portions 51?) and 5212. A light analine oil or diphenyl oxide 'is generally employed in the upper tube portions 53, 53a and 536, the cross 54 and in the. connection to the sylphon valve 55. As soon as either of the liquids in the tubes 51, 51a or 51b commences to boil pressure is exerted through the upper column of liquid on the sylphon'valve. Moreoverif the liquids in 00 two or more of the tube portions 51, 51a and 51b commence to boil simultaneously added ressure is exerted on the sylphon valve.

t is found in practice that the various liquids in the tubes'51, 51a and 51b will notsfl mix with the common supply of light analine oil in the upper portions of the tubes .53, 53a and 53h. This is attributable partly to the fact that mercury and analine oil will not mix, and more largely to the factthat only lot the liquids in the portions of the tubes 51, 51a and 516 which are actually inserted in the coil'2 boil and that pressure is exerted through the cooler liquid beyond against tlie columns of common liquid in the tubes 53, 53a -lo5 and 53b.

57 designates'a stem extending upwardly from the top of the sylphon valve 55 and has a spring 58 around it,. so that the pressure re- .quired to operate the valve may beadjusteda M0 by a nut 59 in enga ement'with a threaded opening 60 in'a brac et 61. It will be noted that varying the pressure needed to operate the sylphon valve also varies the temperatures of the liquids in the closed ends of the tubes 51, 51a and 516 required to cause the valve 55 to function. 62 designates a bellcrank pivotally mounted at 63 on the bracket 61 and having a valve stem 64 connected to its arm 62a. The yalve stem 64 is slidable' in a valve body 165 into one end of which a pipe 66 leading from the 'dischargeside of the pumps 11a and through the pipe sections 67, or 67d'and 68, and 69 is connected. A return line 70 is also run from the valve body 65 to the water tank 14. On the valve stem 64 is a valve 71 adapted .to rest on a seat 72 and prevent the passage of water from the pipe 66 to the return line 70. This valve is closed when the bell crank 62 is "phon valve, so that when the generator coil becomes overheated water is delivered by all three pumps, 11, 11a and 11b to the coil, As soon as the excessive temperature in the coil drops the sylphon valve returns to the position shown in the drawing and the valve 71 returns to open position, in which case all water pumped by the turns to the tank 14.

I 7 denotes a hand lever pivotally mounted on a bracket 76 secured around the water feed pipe 9. This lever engages pins 7 7 projecting from the collar 34 so that the plunger 31 may be moved outwardly by hand and the valve 33 unseated to start the boiler before the pump 11 has produced suflicient pressure to open the valve 33. Y

While in the foregoing description the preferred embodiment of the invention has been described and shown, it is understood that the water to said coil, heating means in said boiler, means for delivering fuel to said heating means, means for rendering said fuel delivery means inoperative when pressure in the feed water pipe ceases, means for regulating the flow of water from said pumps so that when the temperature in said coil is above a predetermined maximum the water discharged by all the pumps is delivered through said'feed water pipe to the coil, and when the temperature in said coil is below saidpredetermined maximum the water discharged by one pump only is delivered tlnrdough said feed water pipe to said coil, an means for stopping the ow of all water discharged by said pumps to said coil when the pressure in said steam line reaches a predetermined limit. I

- 2. In an arrangement of the character described, the combination of a boiler having a generator coil therein, an oil burner in-said boiler, an oil tank, an oil pump to deliver oil from said tank to said burner through a pipe line, a water pumping system, a feed 'water linefrom said water pumping system to said coil, a branch from said feed water linea plunger in said branch extending through the end thereof, a valve body in said oil pipe line,-a valve in said body operated by said plunger and held in open position by the latter as long as water pressure is maintained in said feed water line, means pumps 11a and 1112 refor moving said plunger and. valve to closed position when said water pressure ceases, and means on sald plunger for causing said 011 [pump to operate as long as said oil valve is open and to stop said oil pump when the oil valve is closed.

3. In an arrangement of the character described, the combination of a boiler having a generator coil therein, means for heating said boiler, a water pumping system comprising a plurality of pumps and means for operr ating same, a water tank having suction lines to said pumps, a discharge p1 from one pump, and a feed line connectmg said discharge pipe with said coil, a second discharge pipe from the other pum s, a valve control mechanism, tubes extendlng into said coil having liquids therein adapted to exert pressure in said valve control mechanism, a-regulating valve operated by said valve control mechanism, said second discharge lines being connected by pipe sections to said regulating valve and from said regulating valve to said water tank, said regulating valve being open until suflicient pressure is exerted by said liquid in said tubesto cause said valve control mechanism to function so that all water pumped by said other pumps returns to said tank until said valve control mechanism causes said, regulating valve to close, and a check valve connecting the discharge pipe from said first pump with said second d1s charge pipe.

4. In an arrangement as described in claim 3, wherein a plurality of tubes each extend into a portion of the generator coil at difierent levels, and each-tube has a liquid having a different boiling point therein, all of said tubes being so connected to the valve control mechanism that difl'erent temperatures atdifferent parts of the coil cause the valve control mechanism to operate.

5. In an arrangement of the character de-r scribed, the combination of a boiler having a generator coiltherein, a feed water line to said coil, a steam line from said coil, pumping means for maintainingpressure in said feed line, auxiliary pumping means'for increasing the pressure in said feed line, a plurality of tubes each extending into said coil at a difl'erent level, each tube having a fluid therein adapted to boil at a difi'erent temperature, a regulating valve through which water from the auxiliary means is adapted to pass, and a valve control mechanism actuated by boiling fluid in any one of the tubes adapted when actuated to close the regulating valve so that then the water discharged by the auxiliary pumping means passes to the water feed line.

6. In an arrangement of the character described, the combination of a generator coil,

. a feed line thereto, means for forcing water under pressure through the feed line into the eoilfa plurality of tubes extending into the coil' at difierent levels, said tubes each containing fluid which boils at a different temperature", and means when the fluid inany 5 of the tubes expands .for increasing the ressure in the feed line tothe generator c011.

ALBERT L. MUREN. 

